1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic apparatus using a liquid developer, a carrier liquid removal mechanism which removes a carrier liquid especially from an image before transfer, and an image forming method.
2. Description of the Related Art
An electrophotographic apparatus using a liquid developer has advantages which cannot be realized by a dry electrophotographic apparatus, and has been evaluated again in recent years. For example, major advantages of liquid process electrophotography in contrast to the dry process are as follows. Since an extremely fine toner having a sub-micron size is usable, high image quality can be realized. Since a sufficient image density is obtained by a small amount of toner, the apparatus is economical, and a quality equivalent to that of printing (e.g., offset printing) can be realized. Furthermore, since the toner can be fixed to a sheet at a comparatively low temperature, energy saving can be realized.
In the liquid process electrophotographic apparatus using a pressure transfer, it is necessary to remove an excess carrier liquid (solvent) from the inside and the vicinity of the visible image formed on a photosensitive member. For example, in Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-278302, a drying device has been proposed which has two or more nozzles capable of blowing air, along the surface of the photosensitive member and which blows the air onto the surface of the photosensitive member at a predetermined speed to thereby dry excess carrier liquid.
However, in the drying device proposed in the Jpn. Pat. Appln. KOKAI Publication No. 2002-278302, which blows the air along the surface of the photosensitive member to dry the excess carrier liquid, problems occur in many cases that the carrier liquid conveyed together along the surface of the photosensitive member drip and generate image dirt on output images or pollute other elements disposed around the photosensitive member and the inside of the apparatus.